Here is the pancam L7 panoramic view.

Taken on Sol 766 and Sol 767.

jvandriel

A panoramic view into the drive direction on Sol 767.

Taken with the L7 pancam.

jvandriel

It's interesting that the dark formation on the slope of McCool hill (a dark outcrop of some kind surrounded by a dark shaded surface) is near the center of the drive direction panorama. Could the rover drivers have picked that as a target for investigation once they reach the hills?

Steve

This is such an interesting place, and they have made it clear that 780 is the sol they do not want to linger beyond. I think we may yet have almost two weeks to study Home Plate. Also in the latest Planetary.org update, it was mentioned that they really do want to study the HP escarpment around the other side, to learn more about the layers. They could learn so much as they head for the hills that I can't imagine they'd simply try to make meters toward the hills. They are going to walk one side of this exposure and make observations along the way before running for the hills. I suspect they may leave before sol 780, just in case something else turns up that is worth more than a glance, but we should at least get to see what the rocks, contacts, and dips on the opposite side look like. At least, that's how I read it.

Thanks so much for that view! There are so many items I hope to see closer, but I'm wondering if we'll just see Spirit whisk on by most without much of a stop.

I've also began to wonder if the spot chosen to winter at might not be a surprise. Some think it must be far to the East in a more sun exposed area (green circle in attached) but, what of nearer options? Could not the "North facing slope" be somewhere along the nearer immediate South (yellow alternatives?) This would certainly provide a quick return to HP, and much closer trip to the "promised land."

The long-green-line certainly provides more interest to me, but what of travel time, there and back? What area provides the greatest chance of continued wind "cleaning" must also play a big part in where MER-B winters, I would think...

I'm expecting the winter slopes to be almost exactly inbetween your green and yellow areas - just about where your blue line makes it's highest point. I don't think anyone's expecting them to go all the way over to that green area. Your yellow area is west facing, which doesnt offer any benefits.


Doug

An exciting aspect about the prospect of Spirit spending time on McCool Hill and then returning to Home Plate is that the scientific community will have an opportunity to thoroughly digest the information gathered during "Home Plate I," so that "Home Plate II" can be used to test the resulting theories. That process of field research on Mars, followed by extensive analysis and hypothesis formulation, followed by further field research at the same locale on Mars would itself be a "first" for Mars exploration.

Cross your fingers for dust devils and lots of sun for Spirit.

Phillip

Another move on sol 768.

Spirit is at/near the NE corner; images at the MER webpage.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit_n768.html

Edited: Not a big drive. About 7m (parallax) heading in the direction of that far outcrop on McCool Hill.

Images pointed out by Tesheiner suggest Spirit has gradually climbed and is back on top of HP sequence??

neb

I think so.
Sol 766 & 767 moves were parallel to the northern edge but that edge (check the images) were gradually becoming smaller -- the terrain slope was higher than the top HP slope -- until tosol (768) drive, in which the rover moved again to the top.

Some of that pavement is s-o-o-o like Meridiani...

Bob Shaw

Spirit on its way to McCool Hill.

A 360 degree panoramic look taken on Sol 767 and Sol 768 with the L0 navcam.

jvandriel

In this panorama it appears the interval between the lower, discontnuous beds and the upper bedded unit is thinning toward the left. It seems that it may not extend beneath the flat upper beds in the background. Any comments??

neb




Bob: This kind of fracturing appears to be fairly common in exposed, flat-lying beds. It is even visible at a larger scale in some of the Mars orbiter images. Do you think think thermal activity (contraction- expansion could have anything to do with it??

neb

I am surprised of the route which Spirit took. I tought that the best route would be to cross the center of Home Plate to study better about the bottom of bowl.

Analyzing the route, I think that the rovers are in very hurry and don't want to take any further risk to loose the time by crossing the center of HP and not be able to find a proper way out. The other speculation would be that the scientists would rather prefer to visit the north lateral of HP in order to study further about the formation of strata.

Now the Spirit is heading toward NE approaching to Mitchelltree Ridge. After crossing it, Spirit will be a volcanic valley heading to NE toward to Allegheny Ridge.

Rodolfo

This is jvandriel's latest pan in polar form.

Phil